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Help with weaning

DD is 10 months old and breastfeeding was going great. As a little background, I suffer from anxiety and was weaned off of all medication before she was born so that I could breastfeed her. Things were great until last week when I suffered a major setback and had to go back on all of my medication. The pediatrician and the psychiatrist both told me the meds are not safe for the baby. I never had a problem with supply and I'm trying to decrease my supply as quickly as possible since whatever I pump I have to dump anyway. Yesterday I went 24 hours without pumping and literally thought my boobs were going to explode. I'm afraid of mastitis, clogged ducts, etc but if I pump I'm afraid my body will think it needs to produce more. What should I do?

Re: Help with weaning

If you need to wean, there are several approaches you can take. One is to pump only enough to relieve some pressure/discomfort. So you go as long as you can stand and then pump off just enough milk to relieve your discomfort. Then don't pump again until you need to for comfort. This method will be the fastest way of reducing your milk supply but carries a higher risk of plugged ducts or mastitis. The more conservative route is to pump about as often as you would nurse (maybe a little less, like every 3-4 hours) and gradually drop pump sessions one at a time, every few days, until you are no longer pumping. This is safer in terms of your health but is a bit of a pain in the rear because you will be pumping for probably several weeks at that rate. Which way you go is up to you. If it were me, I would go the more gradual route, but it's your decision.

One more thing--if you are weaning just because of the medication issues, is it possible that in a few weeks you won't need to take all of your medications any more? I know that most antidepressants are safe when breastfeeding, but benzodiazepine-type meds are not. Maybe now that you're back on the antidepressants, those will kick in and in a few weeks you won't need the benzos so much and could continue nursing? Just a thought, if you're interested. If you feel that now is the time for you to wean that's your decision and perfectly fine too.

Just keep in mind you will need to replace breastmilk with formula until your child turns one. 10 months is too little for whole milk or an all-solids diet.

First-time mama to Joshua, 10/29/11. 38 months ; now trying to wean. for 14 months; now finished with pump weaning!

Re: Help with weaning

thanks, joshua's mommy. i was only planning on nursing until she turned a year so i think at this point i'm just done. i have about 20+ bags of frozen milk so i can carry her for another week or so with that and then formula for the 6 weeks or so until she turns one.